The present invention relates to a method of continuously feeding blanks, particularly for the formation of hard packs on a cigarette packing machine, said method comprising stages consisting in successively withdrawing the blanks from the bottom opening of a feedbox, and in feeding the same on to the outer periphery of a conveyor roller via a suction head designed to move between a withdrawal position contacting the blank at said opening, and an unloading position wherein the blank is transferred on to the periphery of said conveyor roller.
Blanks are generally fed between said feedbox and a jog-feed conveyor roller using a suction head which is moved between said withdrawal and unloading positions by means of a lever, which transfers the blanks along a trajectory substantially in the form of an arc of a circle into respective pockets formed on the conveyor roller.
Generally speaking, and particularly at the relatively high operating speeds demanded of modern packing machines, transfer of the blanks between the feeedbox and conveyor roller using the above method involves a number of major drawbacks, such as incorrect folding of the blanks as they are withdrawn from the feedbox, and poor stability of the same on the conveyor roller, due to the inertia caused by intermittent operation of the same.